He was an average person, smuggling food and hiding it from the Midianites to ensure his family had something to eat because they would come and destroy everything. However, his name was later mentioned by St. Paul when he listed the men of faith through whom God worked. So, what is his story?
Despite being an average man, God called Gideon a mighty man of valor. Why did God choose him and give him that title? Because God looks into the hearts of people. Gideon’s heart was full of wonder about God. He questioned where all the miracles were—the ones their fathers had told them about. He also wondered why God had forsaken His people. His concerns were not just for himself but for his nation.
“Gideon said to Him, ‘O my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites” (Judges 6:13).
God saw a heart willing to fight for His cause and protect His people. Gideon had a selfless heart, but like many others, he was confused and shaken. He didn’t know where to begin or how to overcome a large army. He even questioned his own worth, saying, “Who am I? I am nothing.”
“So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” (Judges 6:15).
The greatest battles are fought within. God wanted Gideon to start small—beginning with his own household. He instructed him to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. However, Gideon was afraid of his father and the people, so he carried out the task at night while everyone was sleeping.
“So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the Lord had said to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night” (Judges 6:27).
By morning, the townspeople were furious. They investigated, and when they discovered Gideon was responsible, they demanded that Joash bring out his son to be executed for breaking down Baal’s altar. However, Joash stood his ground and defended his son, saying:
“But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!” (Judges 6:31).
This was the work of God. He changed the heart of Gideon’s father, who had once built an altar to Baal, and made him see that Baal couldn’t even defend himself. God also instilled confidence in Gideon, strengthening him in the eyes of his followers. Many men soon joined him in his fight. But the story doesn’t end there. Gideon’s fame spread, and the Midianites were not pleased. They sought to challenge him in battle. Gideon urged the surrounding Israelite to join the war. In a moment of victory, he doubted God and asked for a sign. God, being patient and loving, granted his request. Despite this, Gideon lacked confidence and doubted again the next day, asking for another sign. It’s amazing how patient God is with us.
God knows our weaknesses. He will deal with us one step at a time.
The Sign of the Fleece
So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said — look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” And it was so. When he rose early, the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.” And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground. (Judges 6:36-40)
In Gideon’s war, the Midianites had 135,000 soldiers, while Gideon had only 32,000 Israelite. The difference in numbers was staggering. However, God wanted to show Gideon, the Israelites, and all of us that victory in war comes from the Lord. So, He began reducing the number of soldiers through a series of tests—first from 32,000 to 10,000, and finally to just 300.Now, Gideon had to face 135,000 Midianites with only 300 Israelite.
Gideon had a strange and unsettling night. He couldn’t sleep—his heart was heavy with worry. He hesitated to ask God for yet another sign to reassure him. But God, who knows our hearts, had compassion on him. Without Gideon even asking, God woke him in the middle of the night and gave him a sign.
It happened on the same night that the Lord said to him, ‘Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah, your servant, and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp. (Judges 7:9-11)
You can read Gideon’s full story in the Bible, specifically in Judges chapters 6, 7, and 8. It’s fascinating to see how he emerged victorious. We cannot overlook God’s role in his transformation. Gideon, who once hid food just to keep his family alive, was changed by God into a courageous warrior. With only 300 men, he faced an army of thousands. And not only that—the plan for those 300 was remarkable. Armed only with torches in one hand, trumpets in the other, and their voices shouting in unison, they stood firm while God took care of the rest.
They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, ‘The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!’ And every man stood in his place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled. When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled. (Judges 7:20-22)
The Battle We Face Today
Pornography has us chained, much like a powerful enemy, making escape seem impossible. No matter how hard we try, we feel trapped, forced into actions we don’t want, becoming hostages to the cycle. Like Gideon, we might be warriors at heart, yet we are exhausted from the daily struggle, weighed down by these chains.
The Enemy Soldiers
We often see explicit images and lustful thoughts as an army of enemy soldiers attacking us, trying to bring us down. But God wants to shift our focus.
“Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16).
God wants to change your mindset because, my dear warrior, you can win this battle. The weight of your burden may be clouding your vision, making it hard to see God’s hand in your life. But if you hold on to Him, He will rescue you—just as He rescued Gideon and his 300 soldiers from the vast Midianite army.
Oh God, here I am, reaching out to You, my faith unwavering. You proved Your might by enabling Gideon to win with only 300 Israeli soldiers, and I am convinced that You can help me achieve victory as well, despite my limitations. This is all I can offer—this fragile hope—that I will try to pray, to draw closer to You. Please accept my sincere effort, for I cannot promise that I will stop watching pornography. If I stumble and return to it, I ask for Your forgiveness. You came for sinners like me, not for the pure and spotless. This truth gives me the strength to approach You. You are holy and reject sin, yet You are also patient and loving, like a caring Father. May my humble prayer be like a flickering candle, lighting up my darkness. Just as You empowered Gideon and his 300 soldiers, I believe You can transform me and ease my struggles.
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God can help us win our inner battles and change our hearts. We don’t have to be warriors or pray all day like monks. We don’t have to fix ourselves before coming to Him—He just wants our hearts.
“My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways” (Proverbs 23:26).
Allow God to enter. Tap into the power within you. He alone has the ability to help you emerge victorious in this struggle.
Start with five minutes of prayer.
WinThisBattle!
